Today is National Trail Mix Day.

You can make your own trail mix using any combinations of cereal, nuts, dried fruit and chocolate candies.

Trail Mix

1. Mix all ingredients together and place in snack size bags.

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day.

You need:

This is really glossy, rich, sticky icing very much not like any you’ve tasted before.

In a bowl over a pot of simmering water whisk together the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.

Once it is warm, remove it from the heat and beat until glossy and thick peaks form.

Add the vanilla and beat for another minute.

You want to use this immediately. I used it for this my sponge cake recipe.

Marshmallow Frosting

1. In a bowl over a pot of simmering water whisk together the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until warm.
2. Remove from heat and beat until glossy peaks form. Add the vanilla and beat 1 minute more to combine. Use immediately.

Today is National Lemon Juice Day and National Chop Suey Day.

You can substitute any of the vegetables for ones you prefer and you can use beef or pork instead of the chicken.

You need:

With just a little prep work you have a super healthy dinner.  So here goes.

Wash the bok choy well and chop into large pieces.

Slice the mushrooms.

Cut the green pepper into large pieces.

Peel the carrot and slice.

Slice the celery.

Slice the onions.

You can leave the snow peas as they are.

Place all your vegetables in a big bowl except the bean sprouts.

Slice your chicken into strips.

In  a medium bowl combine 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp oyster sauce, salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp cornstarch.

Add the chicken and toss to coat.  Let marinade 10-15 minutes.

In another bowl combine the chicken broth, 2 tsp oyster sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch.  Whisk together well.

In a fry pan heat the oil over medium high.  To make this healthier I used cooking spray instead.  Stir fry the chicken until no longer pink.

Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and add more oil (or spray). 

Add the vegetables from the large bowl.  Cook until tender crisp.

Stir in the chicken.

Then add your bean sprouts.  You are basically just heating them up so they stay crisp.

Pour in your sauce.

Cook until the sauce is thickened and everything is heated through.  Serve with rice or noodles on the side if your wish.  

Chicken Chop Suey

1. In a bowl add the chicken, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp oyster sauce, salt, pepper and cornstarch. Marinate for 10 – 15 minutes.
2. In another small bowl whisk together the broth, 2 tsp oyster sauce and cornstarch.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok or large fry pan. Add the chicken. Stir-fry till no longer pink then remove and set aside.
4. Add 2 tbsp of oil to pan and stir fry the vegetables except the bean sprouts until tender crisp.
5. Add the chicken and bean sprouts and stir in the oyster sauce mixture cooking until thickened.

Today is National Cherry Turnover Day.

This isn’t a true way of making turnovers but it sure is simple and quick. You can make your own pastry and roll it out and cut it in triangles but buying these premade crescent rolls work just as well when you are in a pinch for time. Substitute other pie filling flavours if you want.

Cherry Turnovers

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Unroll the dough and separate into triangles.
3. Place 4 triangles on baking sheet.
4. Spoon 1/4 of the pie filling into the centre of one triangle and place a second triangle on top, sealing the edges.
5. Repeat with remaining triangles.
6. Bake for 10 -12 minutes or until golden.
7. In a small bowl mix together the milk and sugar and drizzle over the turnovers.

Today is National Pot de Creme Day and National Banana Lover’s Day.

A Pots de Creme refers to the custard dessert as well as the special dessert pot that it can be made in. It looks like a tea cup and saucer with a lid but isn’t a necessity for this recipe. Ramekins can be easy substituted.

Pots de Crème with Bailey’s

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place 6 ramekins inside a deep baking dish.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat bring the milk and 1 1/2 cups of cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt until blended. Whisk in the warm cream mixture and then mix in the bailey’s. Strain into a large measuring bowl.
5. Pour the liquid equally between the 6 ramekins.
6. Fill the baking dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
7. Cover with foil and bake until set about 20 minutes. Let cool then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Today is National Cherry Popsicle Day.

Cherry Popsicle

1. In a tall glass with ice add the cherry liqueur and blue Curacao.
2. Top up with ginger ale.

Today is National Whiskey Sour Day.

Whiskey Sour

1. Shake blended whiskey, lemon juice, and powdered sugar with ice and strain into glass. Decorate with the half-slice of lemon and top with the cherry.

Today is National Peach Pie Day.

This recipe doesn’t use a traditional crust. Instead all the ingredients are blended together and poured into the pie plate for baking.

Peach Pie

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a pie plate.
2. In a large bowl beat together the eggs, milk, corn syrup, butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Blend well.
3. Add the peaches. Blend well.
4. Pour the batter into the pie plate and bake for 40-50 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

Today is National Sponge Cake Day.

This cake is a great base for a shortcake or trifle.

You need:

Preheat your oven and lightly grease and flour your loaf pan.

Sift together the flour and baking soda into a medium bowl.

In a larger bowl beat the eggs until thick and light.

Add the sugar and beat together well.

Fold the flour into the egg until  well combined.

In  a small saucepan over low heat combine the lemon juice, vanilla and milk.  Cook until just hot.

Pour the hot liquid into your batter and beat on low until smooth.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t look like enough. As it cooks the cake rises almost double in size.

Cook until a tester inserted in the centre comes out dry 30-35 minutes.

As you can see this is why it’s called a sponge cake with all it’s holes and pockets.  Perfect for absorbing juices and sauces.

Of course now that I have this wonderful cake I had to do something with it.  Here’s what I did.

I cut the loaf in half on the horizontal.

One one side I spread melted white chocolate.

One the other side strawberry jam.

I finished it off with a layer of fresh strawberries. Then put it back together.

See the wonderful centre with its gooey fruit and chocolate.

Finally I finished it by covering the whole thing with a marshmallow icing.  Yum!

Sponge Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour and baking powder; set aside.
3. In another bowl beat the eggs until very thick and light. Gradually beat in sugar.
4. Fold in the flour mixture until blended. Combine milk, lemon juice and vanilla in a small bowl and heat in small saucepan on low until hot.
5. Add the hot milk mixture to the batter and beat on low until smooth.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

Today is National Spumoni Day and Eat a Peach Day.

Spumoni is Italian ice cream molded into layers of different colours and flavours and usually contains candied fruit and nuts.  Typically it is a layer of chocolate ice cream, a fruit and nut layer, and then a  layer of pistachio ice cream. However any flavours can be used.